Even though America's streets
were not paved with gold,compared to Ireland's wide spread famine, Pennsylvania's coal
mines held enormous promise for Irish immigrants of the mid-19th
century.
While America's Civil War raged, approximately 100,000
Irishmen fled Ireland on boats so crowded they were dubbed
"coffin ships". The hungry immigrants hoped to gain employment
in northeastern Pennsylvania's coal mines. At that time, the
mining industry was desperate for strong workers because
America's able-bodied men were on the battlefields.
Experienced coal miners from England and Wales oversaw much
of Scranton's anthracite industry -- bosses who detested the
Irish because of their faith in the Catholic Church. In time,
resentment between the two factions grew to mammoth proportions.
The Irishmen decided to band together, forming unions and
societies for their own protection, resulting in more money for
the miners and a stronger political voice.
Around 1880, an even greater labor force was needed for the
growing coal industry. Poles, Russians, Lithuanians, Ukrainians,
Czechs, Slovaks, Serbs, Croats and Hungarians immigrated to
Pennsylvania, more than willing to take on the back-breaking task
of coal mining.
In order to earn more money, the strong "Slavs," as they
were called, preferred to be compensated by the volume they
produced rather than a straight day's pay. This arrangement
enabled the new miners to quickly earn their families' passage to
America. Consequently, by the end of the century, the Slavic
immigrants increased their numbers to 50% of the anthrax work
force.
Because of economic necessity, boys from the age of eight
joined the men at the mines. The young "breaker boys" worked long
hours only to earn from $6 to $12 per month. Upon reaching
manhood they graduated to the underground where their monthly
earnings jumped to between $40 to $80.
Like the Irishmen before them, the new immigrants bore the
brunt of prejudice and resentment. The Slavs thought the Irish
miners were offering a helping hand by teaching them English.
They soon realized they were actually being taught to curse in
order to infuriate the foremen.
At the dawn of the 20th century, wives and young daughters
of miners found they could add to the family income by working in
Pennsylvania's many textile factories. The region employed around
20,000 women and 5,000 young girls in its silk mills.
But by the mid 1940's, Americans began using alternate fuels
instead of coal, and synthetic fabrics grew more popular than
silk. The once lucrative mines and thriving mills closed their
doors. In order to keep food on their tables, immigrant families
were once again forced to move on to greener pastures.
Visitors can experience the culture and rich history of the
Irish and Slavic miners by visiting Scranton's Anthracite
Heritage Museum. Besides heirlooms and artifacts within the
museum, an underground tour into the Lackawanna Coal Mine is
available.
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